If your state has free DOT motorcycle safety classes, everyone should go to the beginners' one. You spend a few hours going over safety and why you should wear a full face helmet with sensible design and should be alert and blah blah blah. Then you go on motorcycles and the people who don't listen get hurt. It is so satisfying.

There was an idiot in my class who opted for the legal in my state 3/4 helmet instead of full face. He clamped down on the front brake, went over his handlebars and landed right on his mostly unprotected face. He broke a tooth that went through his face and had some bruises. He had been loudly eating from a crinkly bag all day too, which added to it.

staplermofo:If your state has free DOT motorcycle safety classes, everyone should go to the beginners' one. You spend a few hours going over safety and why you should wear a full face helmet with sensible design and should be alert and blah blah blah. Then you go on motorcycles and the people who don't listen get hurt. It is so satisfying.

I don't feel like tracking it down right now, but a few days ago somebody posted their review, complete with video, on r/motorcycles on Reddit about how the Predator helmets are a poorly made POS that shouldn't be trusted to protect your head on a bicycle much less a motorcycle.

In any case, I learned my lesson about not wearing full face helmets when I crashed and split my eye open when my glasses got shoved into my face. I've got a scar to remind me every morning when I put on makeup why I shouldn't be an idiot again.

staplermofo:If your state has free DOT motorcycle safety classes, everyone should go to the beginners' one. You spend a few hours going over safety and why you should wear a full face helmet with sensible design and should be alert and blah blah blah. Then you go on motorcycles and the people who don't listen get hurt. It is so satisfying.

There was an idiot in my class who opted for the legal in my state 3/4 helmet instead of full face. He clamped down on the front brake, went over his handlebars and landed right on his mostly unprotected face. He broke a tooth that went through his face and had some bruises. He had been loudly eating from a crinkly bag all day too, which added to it.

3/4 helmets work well at covering the brain pain and allow a great field of vision. That being said, and maybe this comes from riding off road so much as a kid, I prefer full-face helmets. The one I have now even has an integral "sunglasses" that you can retract.

There's a black motorcycle club near me (the B-Towns) that I see occasionally on their Saturday ride. One of the guys has a Predator helmet, but he has dreads so the effect is pretty neat. I always give him the thumbs-up and he always gives me a cheerful wave - somewhat startling to get waved by a Predator.

They were supposedly giving some away on Facebook, I liked the page/shared the image. I don't have a bike, don't plan on getting one, just thought it'd be badass to have one of these sitting around my house somewhere.

As for novelty helmet status, don't some states require a helmet (Texas is full option with license), so the novelty helmets are just a way to bypass the laws, I guess?

Not really sure why you would go out of your way to buy something expensive, not DOT or Snell approved, with no vents or breathers or a raisable visor, and such a restricted vision field though, especially to 'get out' of wearing a helmet.

rynthetyn:I don't feel like tracking it down right now, but a few days ago somebody posted their review, complete with video, on r/motorcycles on Reddit about how the Predator helmets are a poorly made POS that shouldn't be trusted to protect your head on a bicycle much less a motorcycle.

Note that bicycles tend to give worse head injuries than motorcycle crashes. The thing that does the damage is the height, not speed, and you sit higher on a bicycle.

If you're going fast enough that speed is a factor in head trauma, they're probably picking you up with shovels and mops anyway.

inglixthemad:3/4 helmets work well at covering the brain pain and allow a great field of vision. That being said, and maybe this comes from riding off road so much as a kid, I prefer full-face helmets. The one I have now even has an integral "sunglasses" that you can retract.

I hate 3/4 helmet, they make me feel like I've got too much exposed. Also, I've seen first hand the effect of the crash with such a helmet, and with damages you'd never have with a full-face helmet. It feels like pure idiocy to me.Also, I once had to wear one of those ridiculous bowl helmet, you know, the type flavored by HD riders, and that only covers the top of my head. I would have hell ridiculously unsafe, where it not for the fact I was riding pilon on a huge Honda-Goldwing, with a side-car modified to transport my broken-down motorcycle.

So now there will be people opposed to helmets "because they reduce your vision, man" wearing these because they look cool, and 1) they will provide pretty much no protection and 2) I bet these really do limit your vision.

Girion47:They were supposedly giving some away on Facebook, I liked the page/shared the image. I don't have a bike, don't plan on getting one, just thought it'd be badass to have one of these sitting around my house somewhere.